


How to kill a dragon

by Lovemxnot



Category: Stray Kids
Genre: Enemies to Lovers, F/M, Vikings!AU, how to train your dragon!au
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-01-18
Updated: 2020-01-18
Packaged: 2021-02-27 05:40:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 18,704
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22302004
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lovemxnot/pseuds/Lovemxnot
Summary: It was your soul’s mission to avoid Lee Minho at any cost, but life seemed to have other plans. A plan full of dragons, confusion, lots of tears, Minho, and newly found troubling feelings.
Relationships: Reader x minho
Comments: 4
Kudos: 21





	How to kill a dragon

**Author's Note:**

> So...hi  
> My main account is on Tumblr and I posted this fic there. Check it out [here](https://lovemxnot.tumblr.com/post/190309768895/how-to-kill-a-dragon-lee-minho-genre-how-to) if you want too.  
> This will be a two-shot ( honestly just like two more parts and an epilogue left), ‘cause I’m dying over here and can’t think of an ending, this has been sitting in my drafts for 4 months now, and I think its time to set it free.
> 
> umm, give me feedback? I’d love to hear what you have to say. Anything to motivate me to finish this story. or not, hope you enjoy it anyway !

** I. **

Steam was still rising from your soup bowl, meaning you haven’t been sitting on the polished wooden bench here for that long. But time could not go any slower than a wagon pulled in mud whenever you were in the presence of the almighty Lee’s family.

All they did throughout the whole weekly-dinners you and your father had with them in the great hall was boast and brag about how powerful they are, how many dragons they’ve slain, how much dragon skin they have hung up on their walls as tapestry, and how many teeth they wore around their necks, one from each species they’ve killed, as a reminder to the townspeople of who they were.

They perceived themselves as royalty. No one actually liked them, but everyone bared with their bragging as they played a crucial role in keeping this land safe and in one piece.

Your spoon kept picking at the peas in your soup, glaring at them, hoping if you keep your head down and stare at your soup long enough, you might turn into one eventually and not have to sit through this agonizingly long Rendezvous.

You wished you could skip these dinners, but being the last and only descendant of the villages’ chief put you in a tight spot. The Lee’s were a compelling family, they kept the village safe for innumerable years, forming a long line of dragon slayers. So to refrain from rendering this town to ashes, your father made sure to always be on good terms with them; thus you have to sit next to your father on a weekly basis in the large hall placed up north the island, where the elite lived, and pretend you don't dream about having their heads on sticks.

Appetite nowhere in sight, you abandoned your soup in favor of playing with the mashed potato next to the rib meat dosed in a brown sauce, smashing it even more. The food looked delicious, props to the chef, but you lost your appetite whenever you were within a mile of their existence. Being their neighbor wasn’t that fun either. Not when you inevitably meet at least one of the Lee’s whenever you step a foot out of your house.

You were beginning to believe this dinner might actually end on a peaceful note this time, without food thrown at each other across the table. Until the pretty faced boy seated in front of you opened his mouth.

“Why so quiet, Y/N? Dragon got your tongue?” Lee Minho, the youngest and last of the Lee’s, teased.

Great, now any sign of you having a civil, quiet meal completely perished.

You glared at him, trying to keep composed and not fall into one of his tricks, you replied, “Having to stare at your face all evening makes me want to hurl.” Alright, so much for keeping your composure.

“Aw, I make you that nervous?” He grinned, mischievousness sparkling in his pretty brown eyes— you meant ugly, ugly mud brown eyes.

“Aw, you want me to shove my foot up your ass?” You taunted.

“Y/N.” your father warned, but you ignored him.

“If that's what you're into,” that made everyone on the table queasy. And made your cheeks burn.

“you're revolting.”

“Come on, princess, I know you like me.”

“ I’d much rather have myself hunted down by a night fury than fraternize with you .” It was infuriating how good looking he and his brothers were.

His oldest brother, the firstborn- Chan, was the only one with a cool-headed mind, he was notoriously known in the village for his strength but he never, not once bragged or acted out as the rest of his younger siblings.

You were even more agitated with the way your heartstrings tugged whenever you set eyes on Minho. But you never liked him. There was no reason behind that, no big fight over who got the last biscuit from the great hall buffets, or quarrels over who-said-what-about-who, and especially no arguments over who was the better Viking because you-along with the whole island- knew that both of you have never killed a dragon.

While 12-year-olds were out there with a dash in their slate, both you and Minho were known for being the most softhearted Vikings this town has seen in decades. It was no victorious title, especially not to Minho, the legacy of the Lee’s must continue on, and you understood how suffocating it must feel to have to bear the weight of the crown he was forced to wear since the day he took his first breath. And it’ll stay on his head till the day he takes his last.

You hated him because he was a stuck up prick that couldn’t stop himself from annoying the living daylights out of you. And as far as you know, he couldn’t stand you either, if the glares he always sent your way weren’t an indication of his hate than you don’t know what it is. But you had no idea why _he_ hated _you._ You never did anything to him. His hostility originated from the pressure of being the black sheep of the house, but why he chose to take it out on you was a mystery.

“Be careful what you wish for.” Minho had the audacity to smirk, right where you had a steaming hot bowl of soup in your hands reach. Did he not learn from the last time he tried to test you? Was the slimy residue of the goat intestines that left his hair sticky and smelly for a week not enough of a warning of how hands-on you could get? He might need a reminder.

He was right though, Night furies were no joke. They are the most feared type of dragons. It only appears at night, never shows itself. It’s fast, stealthy, and never misses an aim. If it has its eyes on you, then you better pray to Odin to give you enough stamina to outrun it to a shelter, because other than that your chances of encountering a night fury and coming out alive are nigh to none.

It’s sporadic to see a night fury, much less kill one. No one knows how it looks like, and no one has ever caught or killed one. The only sign that one has come to hunt you is their screech and their unmistakable blue plasma fireballs that could burn anything to ashes upon contact.

You could say night furies were the most sought after dragon in the Lee’s, they want them as a trophy. If they could get that under their belts, then this town would not hear the end of it with how high their heads would be in the asses, proudly wearing it as a tophat.

While you were busy thinking of your comeback, You heard his parents and your father joking as always, saying how you two bickered like a married couple, and how perfect the both of you already played into your foreseeable future marriage.

This was another point that added fuel to your hatred. Your families always talked about how the both of you would eventually come around your little fights and marry each other.

With that said, you still would rather be eaten alive by a dragon than have to face the Lee’s for any second longer.

You opened your mouth to say exactly that, but the perusing pair of eyes that were set on you made you shut up. You turned your gaze from Minho's and caught his older brothers instead.

You’ve always admired Chan, he was calm and collected, unlike his baby brother. Fighting in front of him made you feel immature. You two don’t talk often, but you would have absolutely no problem if he were the one you would be betrothed to. He was a very sensible man.

You dropped your gaze back to your plate, letting go of the issue. Shame draped over your shoulders like a coat, you don't mean to pick fights with Minho, but his constant remarks always hit the nail on the head. He knew how to get on your nerves, and it irked you to no end that you give him the power to do so.

“So tomorrow is the big day, yeah?” Minho’s father cut into the pregnant air with his question, gathering everyone’s attention back to him, ignoring you twos previous bickering.

“Yes, the sea has cleared up enough for us to set sail.”

Seeing as it was getting hotter these days, sun heating up your armors, turning them into a portable fireplace, melting your skin. Seas turning back to their natural liquid state, your father and his soldiers were bound to go on to one of their semi-annual sea trips.

It completely slipped your mind. It was always around this time, where the adults of this town sailed out to explore the ambiguous sea, in hopes of finding where all these dragons were nesting, while the younglings stayed back for dragon training.

Dragon training.

You’ve managed to avoid joining training thus far, somehow explaining to your father how important it was for you to learn from the town's seamstress how to sew two pieces of leather skin together. But you had a feeling, not this time.

“ Is Commander Kim still the head trainer for this year's dragon training ?” Your father nodded, then said, “ speaking of dragon training, Y/N will be joining this year.”

That was news to you. You knew it was bound to happen, but knowing that he signed you up behind your back without consulting you first hurt.

“What?!” Your spoon clacked loudly against the plate, gathering everyone's attention.

“You heard me,” He said with finality. “ Minho will be there with you too. One of you might actually kill a dragon this time.” He added humorously as if that would make either of you feel any better. You would rather jump into an active volcano than have to stand next to one of them.

You saw Minho scowl at the mention of his name while everyone else at the table cackled.

“ I bet Y/N will kill one first.” Changbin, the second oldest son and the older twin of the lee pair, made the frown on Minho's face deepen. You could see he was trying to not burst, his hands curled to a fist, knuckles turning white.

Sympathy washed your disdain away, You always felt sorry for Minho whenever his brothers made fun of him. You were an only child and were handled as a relic, meant to be seen and not touched, behind compacted glass. You've never lived a life of sibling rivalry, it wasn't that you envied people with siblings but the thought of having someone to throw the blame on when you tear one of your father's maps seemed pleasant. You always thought blood is thicker than water but witnessing firsthand the unfortunate bulling of lee Minho made you think otherwise. 

“ what’s she going to kill it with? Her crossbow?” The younger twin, Jisung, Snorted. You ignored him, both pairs of the twins were nut heads. Albeit good looking nut heads.

“But Father,” you tried to bring the conversation back onto you, letting Minho breath for a second, not that you cared about him, but because you would hate it if you were in his place “the seamstress finally managed to get velvet, she’s going to show me—“

“No more excuses!! this time you're going!” He slammed his fist into the table. He looked mad, you didn’t know the town folks shit-talking about his daughter being too weak to inherit this town bothered him that much. He must have reached his limit for him to slip and yell at his kin in front of other people. “ how can I pass this village down to you if you can’t even face a training dragon?!”

Ouch. That stung. It wasn’t like you wanted to become the next chief, you wanted to explore the world beyond your tiny island, study the plants and animals, experience life in general. But you were tied down by duties and responsibilities.

You were startled into tears, you’ve never felt this humiliated before. Getting yelled at in front of your archnemesis made tears threaten to fall from your eyes. Now you wished you had stared at your soup harder, those peas looked like they were having fun.

Picking up your crossbow from beside your leg, you stood up abruptly. Your soup could not rival the heat that was pooling in your cheeks, eyes glassy, lips pressed to a tight line. “I'll take my leave.” you rushed outside, ignoring your father's calls. Missing the solicitous stare that followed your figure out, his fists unclenching, chest filling up with both gratitude and pity.

**II.**

Pine green leaves on frail branches tickled your face every once in a while on your trek down the dirt road of the forest, strong winds -signs of an oncoming storm- kept bristling with your hair, braiding it into knots that had you dreading the thought of detangling it. Boots imprinting the unscathed pathway, Crossbow in hand, you shot at any object that moved. Not because you were scared. No, you loved the forest dearly, it was your second home. Whenever you felt stressed, you'd take walks here, or when you had free time you would come and study the plants and animals that habitat here. Which was more often than you'd think.

You wanted to blow off some steam and going to your house wasn’t an option as your father most probably will be there. Unkind words might be exchanged, and you didn't want your father to leave the next day and be gone for who knows how long with fighting as his last memory with his daughter. That's if he comes back this time.

On their last voyage, they came back two weeks later than they said they would. It sent the village into a state of panic with wives thinking they lost their men, kids orphaned, and most importantly - you thought you lost your last living parent, left alone to fend for yourself, forced to fill your father's place at the throne. Alas, it triggered your father into taking action, forcibly joining dragon training was the aftermath of the trepidation. If something were to happen to him you had to be ready to take control. But when worse comes to worst, you weren’t sure you'd be able to breathe the air the same way you did before without grief numbing you, or look at the sun and think of anything except for the two parents you lost, their souls ever-burning as bright as the sun. Colors would all look dull to you, any positive emotions nonexistent in your period of depression. But it was your destiny, to lead these people into many more years to come.

It was well after midnight, dinner lasted as long as usual, but the night seemed young now that you weren’t tied to the bench. Not looking where you were going, You kicked the pebbles under your feet and shot another bolt to the inert tree to your right. Stars provided minimal light, filling the forest with an eerie darkness, you tuck your hair behind your ears every time mother nature played and whirled it into your face. The dark shadows of the night didn’t affect you, it wasn’t your enemy, and right now it gave you more comfort than anyone could, letting you be with your thoughts. You had the forest memorized like the minuscule cracks that sat on the ceiling of your room, concatenating as harsh, unforgiving winters pass by. You could walk through it blindfolded and still tell which tree was which. Which tree you and the apothecary’s son, Hyunjin, had carved both your initials on after a diffident kiss on one spring day, stashed under for shade from the beating rays.

It was nothing but a burst of curiosity, a quick touch of the lips and then a whole lot of laughter. You frequently drop by at his house now and help out with whatever concoction he is working on while you talked. You help scavenge some of the herbs they need for the medicine from the forest. In return, he listens to your whining about a particular reincarnation of the devil that won't stop pestering you until you rest 6 feet underground. It was a small price you had to pay for a great therapy session.

The forest was your safe ground. No one comes to it unless they needed something. Even so, they wouldn’t venture far into the woods like you do. It was the quietest part of the whole island. Some would think that living in the forest would make for a good hiding spot from measly dragons. That would be true if it weren't for the so-named Razorwing dragons. As its name convey, they have razor-sharp wings that could slice through any concrete object with ease and snack on you for breakfast, picking their teeth with your bones. Vikings are infamously known for their unwieldy stubbornness, and your people were no different, refusing to be chased off their island by some winged beasts, they'd die with their ego held high, soaring like a flag in the sky, or forever stay rolling in their graves.

You knew you were going to have to face training one way or another, but getting enrolled in it without your knowledge and being informed a day before the training begins wasn’t the way you would’ve liked it.

You were mad at yourself more than anyone else. Why couldn’t you just kill one? Why did you have to be so soft-hearted and feel bad whenever you see one laying on the ground, beheaded brutally, or crushed to bits by hammocks, and skinned raw. They were vicious animals, after all, stealing your livestock, burning the crops, killing people- be it children or adults. they didn't have mercy on you, so why should you?

A cold droplet of rain cut into your train of thought. You saw before you heard the rain start to pour down in-between the cracks of the thickly woven tree leaves.

It was dangerous being outside after sundown, dragons liked hunting in the darkness of the night. But it wasn’t the first time you sneaked out here without your fathers' knowledge. you’d often slip past him and his watchers to go venture out and saturate your curiosity. 

You should head back, but you didn’t want to face your father, not after you stormed out on him. you will surely get a lecture and you were in no mood for that.

You took shelter under the last tree you shot, pulled the bolt out of its body and layed against it, rough tree bark rubbed against your palms, your eyes shut for a minute, listening to the heavy drops of rain slam down at an unhuman velocity, winds carrying them north towards the town.

As frightening as some people found storms to be, you felt the opposite. the rucks caused from the howling wind and thunder took your mind off of things. Dozing off on the sound, your shoulders dropped, chest lighter than earlier, feeling yourself get lifted as the rain washed over you. With one last deep breathe, you opened your eyes only for it lock with someone else’s.

Or should you say something else’s, for the viridescent hues of the snake slitted eyes peeking through the leaves on the tree facing you were no man's eyes. They were a dragons.

This jolted you awake faster than an ice bucket thrown in your face. Drowsiness nowhere to be seen, you tightly grip onto your only weapon but didn't lift a finger, you didn’t dare to breathe either, praying if you stay still enough it might forget you were there. The eyes didn’t move, didn’t blink, It was locked onto you. A strike of thunder lighted up the sky enough for you to see the leathery black skin of the beast in front of you.

You’ve spent hours upon hours reading every book about dragons your tiny excuse of a library had- every type, species, how they look, their tactics, pressure points- but this one looked nothing like the rest from the glimpse you caught. It didn’t fit any category. You weren’t sure what type of dragon it was, you’ve never seen this one, which struck you as odd. What was even weirder was how quiet it was. Dragons are impulsive and reckless. They don’t stop and stare.

Could it be… dare you say..a Night Fury? 

The name itself sent another wave of panic throughout your body, unconsciously tightening your fingers around the crossbow. But if it was then why wasn’t it attacking you?

A sudden faint horn sound blared in the air, succeeding in catching the dragon's attention away from you, It turned its head towards it, interested as to what it was. But it was no surprise to you, you’ve heard this often. they were the warning sirens, meaning the village is under attack. This was your chance to run away, while it was distracted.

You didn’t waste a second, you shot a bolt in its direction before running as fast as your tired legs could run over the muddy ground. It was a miracle you didn’t trip with how uncoordinated you were, one hand pushing the branches out of your way while the other held onto you crossbow, head turning left and right trying to catch sight of the nightcrawler.

Oh why just why were you so unlucky, You were starting to regret not going home. Minho's voice rang in your ear “be careful what you wish for.” that damn lee, so what now he was a fortune-teller too? 

You kept running and running but no human legs could ever beat the span of a dragon's wings, the dragon was on your tail. Your doubts of this being a night fury completely vanished when you heard the unmistakable sound of its screech as it got ready to shoot a fireball at you.

You luckily dodged it by hiding behind a tree and sent another bolt blindly behind you. You were nearing the middle of the forest, where trees were scarce, thinning out slowly as you reached near the town, which put you in clear sight for the beast stalking you.

You needed a plan, quick.

Yelling for help would surely go unnoticed as the village is already under attack right now, not to mention the roaring thunder and wind cackling every two seconds. You could try hiding, but there is no place here that the dragon won’t be able to reach. Damn Odin and thor your only option is to continue running and shooting your bolts in hopes that one might hurt it enough to leave you alone.

Thunder rumbled, snapping you back to reality. It was too quiet, what was the fury doing? Was it waiting for you to come out of hiding?

Your question was answered when you felt the tree you were leaning blast on fire, burning your hand and your backside with it. Your yelp of pain was drowned out by the screech it let out. This was no time to cry over burned skin, you griped you crossbow again, ignoring the searing pain you felt and peeked out enough for you to see the dragon dive-bombing towards you.

You took a running start before you shot your bolt high up in the sky were you barely saw a shadow moving in the dark midnight sky, you turned around before you could see if it hit it, but the pained roar it let out let you know.

Twirling back around in surprise, eyes wide, you saw it’s silhouette slowly descend, starlights guiding your eyes as the dragon failed to gain control of its wings. Trees hid its landing but the tremble of the ground made it known that it didn’t fall that far away.

You ran recklessly through the forest, not caring anymore if branches scratched your face,afraid that more of its kind will come. Your burns throbbed painfully but adrenaline and fear kept you going.

Emerging from the last line of trees, you saw what you already expected to see. Vikings in armors running around with swords and spiked clubs, chasing dragons, fires breaking out everywhere despite the heavy rain. But that could not beat the horror you just went through facing one of the deadliest dragons out there, and miraculously coming out of the encounter alive.

Blindly you push yourself between people in hopes of seeing a familiar face but the rough blow to your shoulders knocked you on your bum, sending a fresh wave of pain to your injuries.

You looked up to see an aggravated Minho peering at you from above.oh it couldn’t get any worse.

“Get out of my way dimwit,” he snarled but the look on your face snapped him out of his zone, he took notice of how charred your hand and clothes looked, fear swirling in your eyes. This wasn’t the first dragon attack that you have witnessed, so what had you so shaken? 

“What's wrong?” You were too frightened to acknowledge that he was being nice to you for once. He seemed worried.

“N-n-night Fury– Chasing me— my crossbow — it fell ” you stuttered badly, trying to explain between breaths, but it was illegible. Your side burned more with each breath you took in. The grainy ground wasn't so kind on your palm, either. 

“What? What are you saying?” his eyebrows furrowed, face scrunching in confusion. He couldn't hear over the sound of the downpour and the dragons roaring. He didn't seem irritated, he reached his hands to yours, trying to help you get back on your feet, but he touched your burns and you nearly blacked out from the pain.

Your wail surprised him, he kneeled down to you now, concern obviously showing on his face, he carefully grabbed your hand and turned it to see the scaly red skin. Raindrops mercilessly piercing it.

“Odin's beard Y/N, what did you do to your hand? Shove it down a dragon's throat?” He scolded, you slipped your hand back, not appreciating his condescending tone.

Determined to get up on your own, you tried to gather your balance back but failed to do so and stumbled forward, in return Minho’s hands reached for your Waist. Your eyes stung as much as your burns.

The pain was unbearable, you saw black dots dancing in your vision, how much more was life planing on humiliating you? First, you get yelled at in front of him and now your crying. You were contemplating on going back to the night fury and begging it to eat you up. 

Lightheaded, you dropped your head on Minho's shoulder. shock was slowly leaving your system, exhaustion replacing it. 

It was strange, you've never been this close to him. Hell, you could barely stand living next to him, but right now, right here, where you could hear his heartbeat thrum in your ear despite the mayhem around you, feel his breath stagger on your neck, smell the assortment of rain, sweat and his natural musk dripping off him, with his arms secured around you, you felt safe. 

Minho would never tell a soul but he liked this, he liked how soft you were being with him, how reliant you were on him right now, how you fit in his arms. But he didn't like the scrunch that marred itself on your face. He would never confess it but he was out looking for you when he heard the sirens go off because he noticed you didn't go back home after your little outburst.

Without a word, he hauled you up, on hand under your knees the other warily yet rigidly dwelled somewhere near your bosom. You were too far out of it to scold him for touching you, and he was too strung out over you to let his mind wander far away.

Clouds roamed your vision, you fought to stay awake- you had to stay awake, you had to tell your father what happened, but the pull of unconsciousness was too strong.

**III.**

coarse cotton creasing under your skin woke you up. you don't recall your bed cloaked in such rough covers, but then again you don't recall going back home at all. Your eyes slowly adjusted to the brightness of daylight, a quick scan of your surroundings deemed this was the apothecary's house. There was no roaring outside so that had to mean the attack was over with, the sun was just starting to rise, peaking beyond the horizon, golden rays slipping through the window. The rain dwindled to nothing and the town was in post-war mode.

You sat up confused. Your mind was hazy, the last thing you remember was bumping into Minho before passing out. Embarrassment hit you like a brick wall, knocking the breath out of you when you remembered how you acted in front of him earlier. The Minho you know would have used that opportunity to tease you, but from what your foggy mind recalled, he was anything but earnest and caring. 

You would say it was your imagination but the pulsating sensation in your hand and ribs beg to differ.

They were much better, your hand almost completely healed while your side that took most of the hit was a bearable pain. Whatever concoction the apothecary- or was it hyunjin? - used on you worked like magic.

You slid on your boots and stood up. Many were laying around on the beds around, no doubt victims of the invaders. You couldn’t stand seeing people like this, so you rushed out the door and jogged back to your house, not to mention you were in no mood to have hyunjin nag your ear off. Your father was bound to set sail soon, and you _need_ to talk to him before he goes.

If you had actually killed-or caught- the dragon then that changes everything. And if the said dragon was a night fury too, then you would surely gain the respect you never had in the first place. Perhaps he might even change his mind about attending the training, which would save you the hassle of facing Minho daily.

The town was a wreck, houses caved in, sorrow hanging like a dark cloud in the air, town gloomy despite the sunny day. The days after an attack are always the worst, repairing houses, regrowing the crops, burying the dead.

you would have arrived at your residence faster if you weren't stopped every two seconds with town folks bombarding you with questions. You brushed them away with “Yes I'm fine”’s and claiming you had to catch your father before he sailed. They couldn't argue with that.

You finally reached the top of the hill that held your house when you caught sight of Minho stepping out of his own, tools in hand, no doubt on his way to help in construction. Despite how much you hated the lees, they really did a lot around town, but their boastful way of talking was what made you want to stuff breadsticks in your ears. Nobody likes a snob.

You froze in your track, normally you would either overlook his presence and avoid confronting him like he was the night fury himself, or you would bicker like cats and dogs until someone intervenes. But perhaps you could play nice for now and thank him for what he had done yesterday. After all, he saved your life. If you had passed out on the ground out there alone, you would've been an easy target for the dragons. A bullseye marked in neon red for hunters a mile away to spot. It bared on you that he was decent to you earlier, you had never, be it rarely, seen him this caring about anything disregarding himself. You were seeing him in a completely different light, and you didn't like the way it made your heart flutter.

He noticed you too and halted in his place, expression unreadable. Silence ensued, which was new to both of you. You didn't want to be the one to start the conversation. You didn't know which Minho you'd meet today. You caught his gaze grazing your form, precisely where he knew you were hurt. His cheeks tinted redder than usual when he knew he was caught, he looked the other way instantly and continued on his journey downhill. That was peculiar. Normally you were the one to ignore him and his petty attempts at a verbal combat, not him.

Before he could completely pass you, you reached for his arm “Hey Minho..” his expressions, yet again, were hard to read but you could only decrypt his body's stiffness upon contact of your hand as discomfort- Or was he flustered? His ears looked like they were about to let steam out- so you let it go.

“I just...wanted to thank you for yesterday.”

He looked up into your eyes, no cocky smirk on his face, no strut in his walk, and no stick shoved up his ass, he seemed...tolerable. He opened his mouth to say something but someone beat him to it.

“Y/N?”

Mr.swoon himself came up from behind Minho, whose face turned sour. You never saw chan pick on Minho before, if anything, he always ended the teasing, so why does Minho look as if he bit into raw meat? Meanwhile, chan’s face displayed obvious distress, over you.

“Are you alright? I heard you were hurt badly.” Chan stepped forward, looking at you worriedly. It made your heart divert from its normal pitter-patter, you felt your body shiver up with exhilaration with the attention he was paying you.

“Y-yeah, I’m fine now. It was nothing.” Relife brightened his face up, curling the corners of his lips in a smile that seldom sat on his face. He reached for your head, messing your hair up affectionately. you shrunk into yourself, your lips mirroring his. you liked the attention but the arrows Minho’s eyes were sending you were starting to get on your nerves.

“Yeah, brother, stop babying her. She can handle a little scratch, right?” he patronized. “oh wait, if I recall correctly, you passed out on me.”

And there he was ladies and gentlemen, the grade A asshole lee Minho you knew. Whatever happened a couple of hours ago must be a dream, because this Minho could never be that one, and to think you were beginning to believe that being around him won't be as suffocating anymore.

Why was he like this? his personality change gave you whiplash, he usually liked setting your nerves on fire or flirted like there was no tomorrow, sometimes even blurting borderline rude remarks, but this was straight-up jackass material. 

Blood pooled in your head, you were lucky enough to escape from the grasps of the dragon with all limbs attached, yet he was mocking you for passing out from burns that fried you like a piece of meat. You scoffed, you didn't have time to deal with his identity crisis. So like the good ol’ times, you ignored Minho in favor off keeping your sanity intact. 

“I need to catch my father before he goes, see you around?” you directed at chan. He noded and you were off, not a glance shared in the sullen boy's way.

The men sailed once the sun fully raised, and you were currently burning daylight. You prayed you could catch him before he goes, and it was heard. Your father stood in his gear talking to both commander Kim and Minho’s father outside your house. They seemed to be in a serious discussion, with how animated they all looked, but this couldn't wait.

“Father!” you called, successfully gaining his attention, “can I have a minute with you?”

“Y/N!” he held you close, eyes searching your body. Did everyone know about your little mishap yesterday? “What are you doing out? you should stay in with the healers” anger and concern were etched in his words.

“Father, I need to talk to you.” you urged.

“what about? I don't have much time” you noticed the curious stares from both Commander Kim and Lee. “In private,” you emphasized.

“Y/N, there's no time for that, whatever you need to say say it here.”

“No father, this is important.” you would never dare mention the night fury in front of the lees, you could already see the greed seeping out of their pores.

He saw how desperate you looked and dismissed both of the men before facing you. “Alright, one minute.” 

You took a breath in. This is it. this would change everything.

”I caught a night fury.” You let out in one breath.

Surprise, confusion, bewilderment, that's what you wanted to see. Not the blank stare you got. His eyes held a note of disappointment, he thought you were bluffing and he wasn't having it.

“Y/N, your mother would be really disappointed in you right now.” an arrow to the heart would have been less painful, “ if this is your attempt at getting out of training-”

“What?! Father no, I mean it! when I ran out of the great hall I went to the forest and it started raining and at first, I wasn't sure if what I saw really was a night fury or not but it was! It burned me before I shot at it and it fell !”

He shook his head, disenchantment clear “You want me to believe that you, out of thousands of Vikings that died trying to slay it, caught one? Y/N you're worrying me. You might've hit your head yesterday too.”

“Father I swear, it was sitting there just staring at me! -”

“Dragons always go for the kill Y/N, _they don't sit there staring at you_.”

You should've expected this. Your proclaims sound far fetched, even to your own ears.

“Y/N, please just, for the sake of this island, promise me you will go to the training.”

“But father I really-”

“Promise me!” he cut you off, not listening to what you had to say. There was no use, he wasn’t going to belive you anyway, you had no proof on you right now and there was no time for you to drag him to the forest where the dragon may or may not still be. You dropped your head in defeat.

“I promise.” You let out begrudgingly.

The boats off far trumpeted out their horns, one last call before they sail into the unknown. Your Father dropped a kiss on your head. “I’ll be back,” he muttered his infamous last words.

You nodded your head but couldn't stare him in the face, defeated that your own blood didn't believe you. You should have expected this, why did you think differently in the first place? The timing was wrong. He thought you were making up excuses to bail on training, just a rowdy child defying their parents' order.

But his words lingered in your head.

 _Dragons always go for the kill,_ so why didn't it?

**IV.**

legends have it that in a cave by the edge of a lake, on a peninsula far far away, laid the gates that separate the mundane realm from the netherworld. But you believe you found one here, in front of you, in your islands forest.

It looked like a demon tried to climb its way out of hell. The usually packed dirt ground embedding rocks and other small plants was sunken, forming a sinkhole. Trees fallen around it, derogated from the soil, broken and carved into with claw marks. You were apprehensive, your father scoffing you off made you waver and doubt that anything that happened yesterday in the forest was anything but a figure of your imagination. But not anymore. Nothing but a dragon was strong enough to slice thousands of years old trees in half like they were twigs.

It must be somewhere near. You were going to prove your father and everyone that had underestimated you wrong. You were going to find that damn dragon, carve its heart out, and strut back to town with it held high up above your head When it felt nothing but downgrading to you, but if that’s what you had to do then so be it.

“ _what’s she going to kill it with? Her crossbow?”_ you mimicked Jisung’s words in a high pitched voice as you followed the markings down the path, pushing a long branch out of your way, only for it to bounce back and slap you in the face, makeing you lose your balance.

your foot caught onto a rock and you plunged headfirst down the slope. A slope you hadn't known existed, barricaded by long abundant streaky vines and luscious shrubs. You held on to lose vines on your slid down, lessening your fall impact but it still hurt when your back met the grass-covered ground roughly.

You let out a wail as you body throbbed, but the second cry that reached your ears didn't come from you. You froze in your place, looking like a starfish out of sea-with your back to the ground, arms and legs spread out. That voice was too deep to be from your mankind. 

Mutley, you turned your head around. And there it was, The nightcrawler, curled up on itself, midnight black leather skin shining under the gleaming rays of the sun. You couldn’t tell its head from its tail from the way it was huddled up under the shade of a tree a good distance away from you, and you weren't sure you wanted too. Maybe it wasn't such a bright idea to come search for it alone after all.

You’ve studied all types of dragons, but you've never seen one like this, hell no one has seen one like this. It intrigued you. you found your curiosity overpowering your greed of self-righteousness. Which wasn't much, to begin with.

Was it dead? But you definitely heard a groan, was there another one here?

Your inquiries were answered when you saw its tail flick out from under his wings.

Holy mother of Odin's overgrown beard it was still alive.

Okay, okay, everything's okay, it didn’t seem to notice you, deep in its slumber. if you quietly sneak to that boulder behind you without catching its attention, you might-

_Crack._

So it seems you might have irrationally run to the arms of death, twice in less than 24 hours. Damn that twig, might as well just go and poke the damn dragon awake and yell in its ear “Hey I'm here!! Come eat me !!”.

The dragon slit one eye open at the sound. Its head finally peeking out from behind its wings. you must've woken it up from its deep daze when you slam-dunked the ground then gave out your whereabouts with the twig.

It didn't move and neither did you. This sent shivers down your back, you felt like you were standing under the same tree from yesterday, taking cover from the storm, The same eyes fixated on yours. The golden hues swirling in the green pool of its eyes charmed you, but they seemed off, muted, not as vibrant as you had first caught sight of them in between raindrops.

Once again, You didn't dare to breathe, afraid it might activate it into attacking. you tried to appease the shivers from shaking your body but to no effect. A grumble rumbled from its body. It obviously remembered you, and it didn't like you by the looks of it. It stood up on its legs And slowly neared you, with each step forward it took, you took one back until your back hit the designated rock you wanted to hide behind, a little too late now.

You should’ve brought someone with, maybe chan as he seemed to be the only trustworthy and capable person in this town that wouldn't dismiss your claims as an effort of escaping the training.

It took calculative steps forward, one of its wings spread to its full frighting span while the other laid close to his body, a mix of a pained howl and a growl slithered out of him. A piece of wood, one you knew too well as you crafted it yourself, caught your eyes as it jutted out of the wing hauled up to his body.

Bingo. So you did hit it, but you only managed to cut one of its wings, immobilizing it.

Balance was everything for flight. One tiny crack in the system and everything crashes. You wouldn't have guessed that such a feared dragon had such a weak spot. That was probably why it hunted at night. While other dragons had spikes, bumps or rough scales covering their bodies, it had nothing but sleek obsidian black leather skin which helped camouflage it in the darkness of the night.

Anyone in your place right now would feel elated at hitting a night fury, but the only thing that simmered in your chest was guilt. You did this to it, You took away it’s liberty.

Discreetly you tried to reach for the knife you had stashed in your belt but it was sharp, it caught your movement and growled warningly at your hands. You pulled them back up in surrender but the growling didn’t cease, its eyes didn't move from your belt. It felt threatened by it.

You again reached for the knife but this time held onto it and threw it away, far from the both of you. It was a daunting move but its growling stopped and it turned its slitted green eyes back to you. It studied you again for a long moment, then took a couple of more steps forward. You were beginning to regret throwing away your only defense mechanism.

But the dragon stopped a foot away, it just stood in silence, once again, for what felt like an eon before it laid down on the floor with a heavy thump, spreading its hurt wing, whining as it did.

You mentally cocked your head in confusion.

Was it..... was it asking for your help?

You were befuddled to say the least. You’ve been taught since your fetus days that dragons were ruthless animals, with an unquenchable thirst for blood. So why was there a dragon lying defenseless on the ground in front of you, whining like a kicked puppy?

It still had its eyes open, assessing your every breath. With a newfound surge of chivalry, you stepped forward and slowly reached until your fingertips grazed its injured wing, smooth scaly leather brushed past your tips verifying what you dreaded. It didn't retract. It really was asking for your help.

You were conflicted. You could easily attack it right now and win. You could prove everyone wrong. This was everything you needed, handed to you in a silver plate with a bow on top. But its eyes peered into yours, emotions whirling in them, mirroring yours. hurt, fear, desperation. 

You made up your mind.

Before you could regret your decision and curse yourself to rot in hell, you reached for that part of the stick that stuck out of his wing and cautiously broke it off, so it was easier and less painful to pull the other side out. it surprisingly sat still, except for the little whines and heavy breaths it let out.

As soon as you freed it from the pain, it stood up on its feet again and pounced on you, Shoving you down to the ground, locking you in place, helpless and on your back. Oh, you were so dead. Oh dear god, you have been a good child so far, what did you do to deserve this? Was it your constant fights with Minho? But it was always him that initiated it, you were simply defending yourself!!

You closed your eyes, ready to feel your skin blast of your bones, but all you got was a deafening angry roar in your ears that left you deaf for the rest of the afternoon, then it was off you, trudging towards the pond near the other side of the slope.

It didn't kill you.

It didn’t kill you, and you didn't kill it. You had the opportunity to do it, but you didn't. It knew so yet still took the chance with you and once he saw you were willing to help, he let you go too.

Mayhaps It was all a big misunderstanding. Maybe dragons were fighting only as self-defense. Maybe it was us they were afraid of and not the other way around.

Shaken to the bone, you got up and sat against the rock behind you, eyes glued to the leathered fiend. Your mind felt like mush, thoughts overlapping but one thing was clear. Dragons weren't as dangerous as you have been made to think.

It didn't seem to mind you staying here, in fact, it ignored your presence as it tried catching the fish from the pond, only for it to give up after several fruitless attempts and whine while laying down on the ground, licking its open wound clean.

It would probably never be able to fly again. Your bolt ripped a big nasty gash through its wing. 

Guilt sat heavily in the bottom of your stomach. You've never felt this shameful before. It felt horrible and you couldn't stand it, it was almost up to par with how you felt whenever someone reprehended you for your fights with Minho.

Picking up your neglected knife, you skipped to the other side of the pond as to not startle the dragon, and sat quietly by the brinks, studying the unsuspecting fish serenely swimming to and fro down below the clear water. You felt the dragons gaze curiously turn on to you. you kept yours on the aquatic organisms, waiting to strike them in the right moment.

Moments later drenched in droplets of pond water, dried dragon blood and a bucketful worth of fish piled next to you, you were pulled out of your zone when you saw- and felt a shadow looming over you. 

It was your scaly companion, sitting politely a couple of steps away from your hunt, tongue peeking out and nostrils sniffing the scent. 

“You can eat it.” you weren't sure it would understand you but by the way its pupils dilated before it lunged at the fish, tail wiggling upon your words, you knew it did.

Guilt still stubbornly hung on your lungs, even after your act of repent. you might have sated its hunger but it will never be able to soar the skies again.

There was one way you might be able to help, but you weren't so sure it would work. You have stitched dragon skin together before but not when it was on a living breathing one. But perhaps it was worth the shot. 

You’d do so tomorrow. If it was here tomorrow. But for now, you had something else to worry about. Your first dragon training lesson.

**V.**

“We’ll start off today with something easy.” They said. 

You thought Commander Kim might teach you how to properly pick and hold a shield and a sword, or how to find shelter, not throw all ten of you in an arena with an enraged dragon chasing you around.

you just barely escaped the grasps of a dragon only to be thrown under another one. you stuck by the corner of the arena, letting the others get chased by it instead, tranquil and at peace until your shoulder was bumped into.

“What's wrong Princess, you scared?”

“I told you to stop calling me that.” you rolled your eyes because of course Minho would take any chance he has to tease you and pretend like he didn't bully you hours ago, even if it was in the middle of the fucking training session. “And if you're so brave Mr.Slayer then why are you hiding too ?”

“I’m not hiding, I’m simply waiting for the right moment to strike.” He puffed his armored chest out. you were afraid your eyes might get stuck to the back of your head with how far you roll them around him.

“Keep telling yourself that buddy, you'll eventually start believing it.” you kept your eyes on the creature in front. But Minho turned quiet, which struck you as odd. If you learned anything from the years-long disputes with him was that he always had the last word, hell he would outlive the gods fighting to have the last word. You turned your face only for it to be a mere inch away from his. It took you back to the day before, the same emotions ran through you only this time you weren't in agony, well not physically at least, But your soul would never rest as long as you were around a Lee. A familiar tug pulled at your heart at the way he was leaning into you, nose closing in on your neck.

“What are you doing? marketing yourself as bait?” he looked up into your eyes. 

“What-?” you asked, confused.

“You smell like fish.”

you had rushed here straight from the forest without stopping at your house to change out of your bloodied sullied clothes. This was bad, if a human could smell the fishy odor off of you then a dragon’s heightened sense of smell would surely pick it up and mistake you for food.

“T-That's none of your business.” you pushed him away, putting enough distance between you to placate your thumping heart.

“since when did you like fish?”That took you aback, you hadn't known he noticed you picking on the fish meat they regularly served at the great hall. You hadn't known he focused on anything else other than his own ass.

“Since when did you care?” it might have come out as a bit too defensive but you felt threatened, he seemed to know a bit too much about you for your liking. Perhaps while you were too busy looking at anything other than him, Minho was busy looking closely at nothing other than you, engraving everything his eyes percept in his mind under a folder with your name on it, closely studying you, memorizing details for him to recite later. 

“Y/N, Minho stop trying to gauge each other throats out and focus on the lesson.” commander Kim yelled at you from his place outside the arena, where he was safe and sound, watching you from above. 

“shouldn't you be teaching us how to deafened ourselves first?” annoyance colored your voice. 

“You learn on the job.” Commander Kim yelled back, “now stop huddling up like a bunch of lovebirds and get out there.” 

you rolled your eyes once more, yeah you might lose a limb or two but it was no big deal, at least you would have a tale to tell your father when he comes back.

The others in the middle of the arena were trying everything they could, from chasing it around with their shields and weapons to it chasing them with fire bursting from its mouth.

This was ludicrous if you had wanted to get chased around by a dragon you would've stayed back at the forest with the night fury, and you were going to stat just that to your instructor. you marched towards where he stood. “Commander Kim with all due respect, don't you think its a bit too hazardous for us to be running around free with a dragon?” you were looking for a way out, you didn't want to fight the dragon.

“The only thing you should be worried about right now is that scaly thing heading towards you.” he pointed with his head behind you.

you ducked just in time when you saw a wall of fire headed at you. “EXACTLY MY POINT !!” you shouted at the instructor as you ran for your life, shield over your head. you recognized the dragon classified in the nonlethal class, not the worst but still could do serious damage if it wanted to. And right now, it seemed like it wanted to. It was chasing you much more vigorously than it had with the others. No doubt it had finally catching a whiff of you.

Everyone noticed how crazed it suddenly turned, now it was their turn to cower in the corner while you fought it off.

“come on knock it out” you heard commander Kim yell over the flapping of wings, “ bang his head with your shield.”

Easier said than done if you lift the armor away from your face for a second the dragon wouldn't hesitate in attacking. Was there a way you could subdue it as you have done to the night fury? there must be, your heart wouldn't be able to take it if you injured another one of them. 

“lookout !!” you heard someone shout before a weight slammed on top of you, squshing you to the floor with its body. you looked up in surprise only to see Minho’s the culprit. Right, where your body was a second ago was now a molten hole, magma dripping down from it like pudding.

He got off you and slammed the shield in his hand roughly to the dragon now laying dazed on the ground. He let out his breaths in deep heaves, and you’ve got to admit, he looked attractive like this, dressed in his armor, out of breath with beads of sweat clinging to him. you mentally shook those thoughts away. This was no time to appreciate his physical appearance when his sole purpose of helping was probably to take the glory away from you.

A palm was offered to you. You would've taken it if it wasn't attached to the person that pushed you to the floor in the first place. You pushed his hand away and got up yourself. What's up with him? he helped you out when you passed out earlier only for him to make fun of you for doing so, then comes around acting like nothing happened only to push you out of harm's way and saved you from getting burned again.

“I could've handled that myself, I don't need your help.” you brushed the dirt off of you as if that would do anything to your already soiled clothes. Minho's face fell, his hand flattered in the air before he pulled them back to his side in a fist.

“Whatever suit yourself,” he scorned, “next time why don't you run to chan when you need help.” 

What was he going on about? You had tried to be nice to him and thank him earlier when he had helped. He was the one that acted like a jerk and made fun of you. And what did chan have to do with any of this? he couldn't possibly be jealous of chan?

While you were facing your little dilemma named Lee Minho’s bipolar tendencies, commander Kim jumped down to the field and put the knocked out dragon away.

“Good job Minho,” he clapped him on the back but Minho didn't look so thrilled, avoiding your eye contact.”First rule of the battlefield: Never hesitate. Give it one second and it will not hesitate in burning you to crisps. class dismissed”

Minho was the first one out, sulky throwing off his headgear and shield to the floor as he exited the arena. why was he playing the victim here? it was your turn to scoff now and sulky leave the arena, though you had the decency of putting your gear back in its intended place.

**VI.**

“Say,” you began, gathering Hyunjin’s attention from his working hands, busy mixing another concoction. “Theoretically, If I were to have to numb a dragon, would one of our numbing Potions work on them?”

That got Hyunjin’s hands to freeze in their place, question marks clear in his eyes. “Where’s this coming from?” There was a hint of suspicion waltzing behind his question. 

“Just a thought.” you shrugged nonchalantly.

He sighed but answered nonetheless, “we don’t know much about dragon anatomy but, _theoretically_ it would probably take a shit ton of dosage to numb them than it would for us.” 

you nodded your head. “thought so.”

He dropped whatever was in his hands and faced you completely, hands leaning on the table separating you from him.“okay spill it. What did you do ?”

You weren’t surprised he asked. He knew you too well, with how often your curiosity got you in trouble and all. You contemplated telling him everything, if there was anyone you would trust to talk about what had happened to you in the past 48 hours, it would be Hyunjin. It felt wrong to keep something away from him, he was the person you shared everything with. 

Thumbs twiddling in your lap, your eyes wandered around the knicks and knacks spread out in the workplace. The tapping of Hyunjin’s fingers on the wooden surface forced your eyes to the jagged line that ran through the back of his left hand, reminding you of the time hyunjin got glass shards carved into it. It was very foolish of you to go around sniffing and picking at the ingredients around his workplace. Turns out The pretty pink liquid set up in the farthest shelf was put up there for a reason, it was poisonous and had hyunjin not slapped the bottle out of your hands reach you would’ve been poisoned to death. And had his parents not been around to put the antidote on hyunjin would’ve been one arm less or worse, dead.

You couldn’t possibly put him in harm's way again, he was too sweet and innocent for that, you would never forgive yourself if anything happened to hyunjin, you still didn’t completely forgive yourself for the scar you marred on Hyunjin’s delicate form, despite how many times he told you it was fine.

Perhaps later, once you've got your thoughts organized you would tell him, but for now, it seems like it's going to be your little dirty secret.

“Nothing.” You shrugged again. he didn't have to say it, it was written all over his face, he didn't believe you.

“Really there's nothing. Just one of the many unanswered inquiries running through my mind.”

By the purse of his lips, you knew it bothered him that you were shrugging him off, but he dropped the issue nevertheless.

“If you say so,” he side-eyes you while he goes back to working again,” so what's new with Minho?” He slipped out so easily.

“What? Why would you bring up that spawn of the devil for?” 

“Well, you always end up talking about him anyway so I'm just cutting to the chase.” Smugness sure was a good look on him. His eyebrows quirk and that little tug that pulled one corner of his lip up would have anyone fall to their knees.

“Wha-“ you would deny it if it wasn’t true. Somehow, someway Minho slithered his way into your subconscious, permanently sitting with a crown over his head in the gold-encrusted chair he placed in your mind, playing with your thoughts, making you think about him even when he wasn't around. To be frank, you always complained about the lees in general to hyunjin, namely a certain one was mentioned more than the others, but that was only because you wanted to push him off the edge of the island..right?

“What are you getting at?”

“oh I don't know,” he hummed, his hands didn't stutter once while he spoke,” that your too stubborn to confront your feelings about him.” 

“What feelings ?” you stubbornly denied.

“See?” he deadpanned.

“Whatever.” You didn't like the heat pooling in your cheeks or the jitters convulsing your stomach. 

“Just admit it, Your so used to hating him that it has become easier for you to just go along with his weird charade of displaying his affection for you than it is to actually do something about your feelings for him.”

“What? He doesn’t like me like that. He likes making me conjure up scenarios of his slow brutal death every day though.” 

Despite your little way of deteriorating the conversation, Hyunjin’s face turned serious, “ Y/N you’re blinder than a ground mole if you think Minho doesn’t like you like that.” 

“No, he doesn’t!! He was such an ass to me yesterday!” 

“Look.. that was different Y/N. I don't really agree with his way of approach but…” he looked lost in his thoughts, searching for the right words to describe such an enigma.

“he hasn't had it easy since day one. It's not really an excuse for him to treat you the way he does but, deep down he's just a diamond in the rough, a child that's been teased since birth for being too caring. He’s too afraid of showing anything close to emotions for anyone but for some reason his act always seems to slip around you.” That had your heart stop. 

“ You didn't see the way he hurtled into here the other night with you in his arms, he himself was bleeding but he wouldn't let me touch his cuts until someone treated you first. Y/N I think your the only one that could help him.” 

Now that was surprising, you were pushed once again under the same shed of light you saw Minho in after your accident.

“Help him?” 

“Have you ever considered talking to him? Like a normal conversation where none of you would set the room on fire?” 

You have tried, you tried to talk to him on the morning of the sailing, and now that you think about it he did act differently until you were both interrupted by chan. 

The door behind hyunjin creaked open and Hyunjin’s mother popped her head out, “ Hyunjin can you— oh good morning Y/N, how are your burns healing?” 

“As perfect as the rest of me.” You replied sarcastically, thankful for the interruption.

“Cheeky as always I see,” she chuckled, “I need to steal hyunjin for a bit, we need an extra hand in the back.” 

“Yeah, I was leaving anyway. Dragon training starts soon.” Saved by mother Hwang, you couldn't thank her enough for it. 

“Be careful out there. I heard the training can get pretty wild.” 

Images of Minho pressed up against you on the floor flashes before your eyes. That was not what she meant, THAT WAS NOT WHAT SHE MEANT. 

You shook your head, “ yeah..” 

A shrill sound pierced the air, making all three of you jump. “Oh boy, hyunjin, come quickly, help me pick up the cauldron from the fire before it starts spilling everywhere.” 

“Think about what I said.” He noted quickly at you before he followed his mother back into the room where they worked most of their magic.

He was right. Hyunjin was always right. But you had other pressing matters than pouting around and pondering over unsaid feelings. 

**VII.**

Second day of training did not go the way you imagined it too. 

Sure today you were, once again, locked in the arena with everyone else, a new dragon unleashed, freely soaring around you. But what was different was a certain brunette that stayed quiet for the first time since he was born. 

It was a breath of fresh air. Nothing nagging you, floating around you, buzzing in your ear like a fly. But it was disorienting. Was he upset over the first class? 

Whatever, you didn't do anything wrong, you didn't ask of him to save you. you didn't ask for anything but here you are.

Today’s session didn't last long. whilst others were greedily fighting for who gets the victorious title of defeating the dragon today, You did try to act as if you were actually trying to fight the dragon, but then went to the same spot you were just a mere 24 hours ago. Commander Kim yelled at you the same way he did yesterday and you had turned a blind eye to him. 

You were stuck in limbo. For one, if you don’t show an effort in learning, it will reach your father’s ears once he comes back and you don't think you’ll be able to handle him looking at you with disappointment dripping off of his entire being. But two, you weren't sure that fighting dragons was the right thing to do anymore, the night fury has planted new speculations in your mind, maybe the gods created both dragons and humans to live cohesively in harmony. Maybe you've all just had it wrong. Maybe you could do something to change how everyone's mind.

And three, Minho's silence was deafening. Why just why did you have to live next to each other? Every day, after each lesson, the both of you would have to take the same path to go back to your own respectful homes, albeit you don't stand next to each other, one of you would be ahead of the other, mostly you- unknown to you that the boy let you lead because he wanted to keep a protective eye on you.- god forbid you get seen walking with him, that would be the end of the world. 

_“Have you ever considered talking to him? Like a normal conversation where none of you would set the room on fire?”_

This time, you were the one left staring at his backside while he treaded up the road. Not a single cheeky remark said. Thoughts of starting up a conversation with him skipped your mind, but what would you say? Thank you once again for saving me yesterday? Why did you insist on having me treated first? Why’re you such an ass? 

A white ball of fur jumped at the feet of the boy in front of you. Unlike your startled self, Minho's face sported a soft smile, one you had never seen, one you didn’t know he could sport.

He crouched down to be on the same level of the pretty snow white feline basically throwing itself on him. Nimble fingers rubbed the back of the cat's ears, pulling a loud purr out of it. 

He looked so small crouching down next to it, smile still painted on his face. Did he know you were behind him? Probably not because you've never seen him like this, and by the way the feline trusted him he must’ve been doing this for a while.

“What have you been feeding it, young man? She won't eat any of the food I give her anymore.” An old lady, you recognized her as the local chef’s wife, scolded Minho, a playful lilt in her voice.

He giggled. 

_He giggled._

“Mrs.whiskers likes your husband’s smoked tuna did you know that?” 

Oh no, no no. Who allowed your heart to skip a beat it the sound of his chuckle. No, it was probably a heat stroke or something, you're already exhausted from standing still and doing nothing in the arena, it was probably the heat getting to you. 

You hurried off past Minho, not listing to the rest of the conversation, and turned left, at where the path leads you to the hidden dragon buried deep in the forest, passing both of your houses on the way, earning a Quizzical stare from Minho on your retreating form.

You had snuck a couple of numbing potions after Hyunjin disappeared behind the closed door, your homemade sewing kit stashed next to it in your brown leather bag, a couple of fishes thrown in there too, to persuade the dragon on letting you stitch him incase he let you.

You were determined to fix things, or else you would quite possibly disintegrate from the heavy feeling in your chest. 

This time, you gracefully slid down the slope instead of tumbling down it. You had peaked through the veins to catch a glimpse, and what you saw shriveled your heartstrings. 

The dragon let out an annoyed groan as he once again fell to the ground after failing to catch his balance once in the air. It kept repeating, landing, getting up, spreading its wing, shaking its tail once before leaping into the air only for it to not catch drag and slam back down into the ground once more.

Its head suddenly whipped towards you, the same annoyed growl was heard and you wondered again if you should've brought someone with you. Or...maybe even Minho as he seemed keen on breaking the mold you had set for him.

Nope. Not going to think about him.

Running viciously at you with its teeth bared and a heart stoping screech, unleashing its wrath on you, was what you expected the dragon to do, instead it let out a burst of flames to the ground in front of him successfully charring the grass, with its wing it put out the fire than laid upon it. Its back facing you. 

So it held a grudge against you. That's...not what you expected. Not that it shouldn't hate you but that a so-called ruthless beast could show such human-like emotions. 

You slowly neared it, calling to it as you did. 

“Hey..uhh harmless creature,” it didn’t respond.

“Umm, it's me. uh Again.” It let out a huff at that, chest moving up and down violently.

“... I know you probably hate me, a-and I don't blame you for that,” you stuttered,” but I might be able to help you.” 

Its ears flipped backward, it was listening. You had its attention. 

“I have a proposition for you.” You laid down your satchel and took out the fish. A sliver of a movement of its tail told you it had caught a whiff. You whipped the fish around to let the wind carry the scent to him.

“If you lay still and snack on what I brought you without jumping me this time, I will fix your wing.” wide beady eyes stared at you, it tilted its head to one side, just like how a dog would do to look at you better. if you had seen it do this a couple of days ago you would of pissed your pants, but strangely enough, you found it enchanting now.

it fully turned to you now, nose sniffing the fish still dangling in your hand, but it didn't move any closer.

you throw the fish in your hand in front of him alongside the others you had in your satchel. still as a rock, it didn't move, eyes fixated on you.

“go ahead, I didn't poison them.” but you did dose them heavily in some of the numbing potions you got. They were scent and tasteless so hopefully, the dragon wouldn't sniff or taste anything weird. 

At that it lunged at the food, letting you peacefully walk to his side. 

Its injured wing was as it was yesterday, pulled close to its body. 

“Buddy, you're going to have to spread your wing.” you tapped his wing softly.

it stopped munching for a second but complied in the next. so it was starting to trust you.

you took what was left of the potions you had in your bag and poured it gently onto the angry open wound, It was just a precaution, for you and for the dragon. you wouldn't want it to slap you with its boney wings and possibly break one of yours. with one bat you would be thrown like a rag doll across the meadow field.

It didn't seem to react to the liquid touching him, except for a tiny twitch of his underlying muscles, so you did your first puncher with the needle. It was way harder to puncher through the thick layers of muscles and scaly skin than it was with normal leather.

And as you had expected, upon the incision, its tail twitched from its previous serenity and struck you in the face with such force that had you thrown to the ground behind. 

“ouch, that was surely going to leave a bruise.’” It looked at you accusingly, hurt shining in his eyes.

“look, it pains me just as much as you, but if you want to fly again, this might be the only solution!”

it was a hassle but after another round of one-sided verbal negotiation, a row of neat stitches decorated his left wing. “now I would tell you not to move around much but-” you couldn't finish your sentence as it had stubbornly tried to take flight, it did for a hot minute until a couple of the stitchings tore.

It looked at you with pleading eyes once it was back on the ground.

“come here, you big oaf.”

After you had repaired the stitches, the dragon had yet to move from your side. You dared to pet its head and it let you, closing its eyes and leaning towards your touch, smooth leather skidding under your touch, soft purs rippling out of him.

you closed your own eyes, resting beneath the tree, shading in it, letting your thoughts wander and finally puzzle the pieces together.

it was as you suspected, dragons weren't that bad.But the question now was, what are you going to do with this new piece of information? This town had fought years after years and gave birth to generations of dragon warriors. It was your island legacy, their creed, to kill dragons. How were you, an overlooked human, supposed to convince them of what their thick skulls would never want to accept? 

You looked at the dragon resting peacefully next to you.

“How can I save you?”

**VIII.**

“whats wrong with your face?” is the first thing you hear come out of Minho's mouth after his whole devotion to being silent as a monk around you.

The blue and purple hues staining your cheek was not something you could hide with your hair, it was on display for everyone, but that dipshit didn't have to announce it to everyone in 10 meters ratio.

You glared at him, couldn't he have phrased it nicer? who were you kidding, this is Lee Minho you were talking about, he's either as smooth as the butter you spread on your rockhard biscuits or as rude and grumpy as the old fisherman's wife living down by the bay.

“I punched myself so I wouldn't have to see your face. But oh here you are.”

He tsked, he was genuinely worried about you, if it wasn't for that he wouldn't have broken his silent treatment with you.

With that, he turned the other way to hid the pout pulling his lips down in obvious disdain, albeit you caught sight of it, and god damn your heart for leaping at such sight.

Were you too mean?

you were starting to get a headache from all the thinking so you decided to stop and focus on your lesson, and by focus, you meant to think of ways to avoid engaging in the ruthless practice.

to say the next couple of days were eventful would be a lie, Minho kept ignoring you and you kept going to the forest after each lesson to play with the dragon, who you playfully decided to name starlight- it was the first time you caught sight of him on a starry night. plus it wouldn't agree to be called anything else, you kept calling it by different names but it only responded to starlight.

Everything was going swell, except for the fact that you had the most wanted dragon as a pet and that you missed Minho. You missed hearing his annoying voice, you don't miss his rude remarks but you miss playfully bantering with him. He doesn't look like he's doing well with dark bags stitched to his under eyes and stress lines forming way too early for his age. Dare you say you were worried for him. But you decided not to interfere, for now.

You could notice the stares of the people around you, eyeing your ever-accumulating marks and bruises decorating your body. You couldn't do anything about the ones that your clothes cant hide. Starlight likes to play rough and the other scratches are from your clumsy self. Questions were bound to be asked and you weren't sure what the answers should be.

By now it was nearing the deadline of your father's voyage and your training, Minho was looking worse by the second, he looked as if he was forced to sleep with a dragon in the same cave.

“Alright soon to be Vikings gather up.” commander Kim announced, gathering everyone's divided attention from staring at the large, tall wooden walls placed in the usually empty arena, forming a maze of sorts. “Today we’re doing something different, you are to pair up in twos and go into the maze. In there somewhere are eggs stashed away, guarded by some obstacles. First team to get out with three eegs wins. easy right?”

You noticed some of the girls standing next to you ogle at Minho, no doubt thinking of throwing themselves on him in a chance of becoming his partner. You would think the girls would know better than to pair up with him as he would be as useless as his twin brothers brains, but you guess those girls just might share the same brain.

“Minho, Y/N you're together. The rest are free to choose,” he announced oh so casually as if he and the others haven't noticed yours and Minho’s lethal relationship.

“What?!” you both exclaimed, sharing a look. “That's unfair!! -”

Commander Kim raised his palm up, shutting you up “You're both too busy bickering at each other to fight the actual enemy here.” you begged to differ, dragons weren't the enemy” you have got to trust each other. It's the golden rule.”

“I’d rather go in by myself.”

“I second that,” but Minho didn't sound as opposed.

“No, what I say goes.” he refused again “now get on with it before I tie the both of you together.”

you sighed, there was nothing you can do about it, the sooner you get it done with, the faster you can go and hang around your new pet.

Minho was as quiet as ever so you took the lead for once and talked. “let's get this over with quickly, I’ll get the egg and you keep an eye out for me, no tricks no games.”

he nodded lethargically, eyes darker than his usual bright brown ones.

once the horns announced the start of the game, both of you sprinted inside. Large walls caged you in a foggy mist, you could barely see your hand. This wasn't good, you might separate from Minho and get lost. Blindly you reached for where you last saw Minho, your fingers touched the familiar cool metal plates that cover his chest, you slid it down until you found his hand.

“what are you doing?” he whispered.

“so we don't get lost” Thank Thor that it was misty and the scarlet tinge coloring your cheeks couldn't be seen.

“lead the way.” you gestured with you interwind hands. he took the liberty of interlacing your fingers, firmly squeezing your hand in his. Had you not known it was your hand in his you might have thought it was your heart with the way It was pumping so weirdly.

Sightless, you both relied on your sense of touch and hearing for this task. Your hands guiding you away from any dead ends, ears listening for any unwanted visitors.

you stubbed your foot against a rough object which caused it to roll away. An egg !!

“There's one here! “you squeezed Minho’s hand, gesturing to where you heard it roll. Slowly you unlace your hand from his, to grab the golden egg and shove it in the pouch you were given.

“okay that was too easy-” you should've kept your mouth shut for the sudden gust of wind hovering over the back of your necks made both of your bodies turn rigged, your hand sneaking back into Minho’s wordlessly.

Simultaneously, another team bumps into your backs, bringing with them another dragon. Upon collision, the other team's egg fell from their hand and rolled next to your feet. You took it, quickly stashing it in your pouch. Leaving the only problem now is to escape this trap, find one more egg than get the hell out of here.

“don't move,” Minho whispered. Dragons have blind spots, hiding in them could eventually lead to losing the dragon's track.

The boy on the other team scoffed, recognizing Minho's voice “as if id take advice from you.” and made the first move. Colossal mistake, now he had both of the dragon's attention pointed at him. A disadvantage for him but an advantage for you. 

You and Minho took off running away from the pair, letting them deal with their foolish act.

Eventually, you reach a part where the fog doesn't hang so thick in the air and it is safe to let go of your hands. but neither of you do.

“How many do we have?” he askes.

you hold up two fingers with a shit-eating grin. he copies yours and smiles back.

“I'm guessing we're in the eye of the maze now.” you reached a circular place, with nothing but five pathways, one of them must be the exit while the others must be where the other teams entered from.

“I'm gonna take a wild guess and say that's not it.”Minho points at one pathway that you could clearly see lightning strikes reflecting from the walls along with shrilling screams.

“Yeah, lets hurry before they come out and bring it with them.” you agreed.

All four other pathways seemed as equally suitable for the exit as each other, so you randomly chose one. The path seemed normal in the beginning but the more turns you took the darker it got. Light spilled from random crevices up above, enough for you to see Minho next to you, but not enough to illuminate what was beyond him.

you froze in your place when you felt a tug on your pouch, pulling it roughly away from you. “Did you just take the pouch?”

“What? No, why would I?”

“Well, _something_ did.”

The sound of rummaging came from behind, causing both of you to turn around. From what your eyes could catch, the relatively small-sized blue dragon with its head in your bag was what caused the sound. It sniffed into your pouch before it pulled the pouch with its mouth to a corner where you noticed a third egg sat. You recognized the dragon immediately, body going in full flight mode.

“ _That_ tiny thing is what took it?” Minho mocked, already making his way to the dragon.

“Minho NO, it's more dangerous then it looks,” you pulled back on his hand. This type of dragons were known for their razor-sharp poison-filled spikes and speed.

“It's fine. It's small. We’ll just grab the pouch and pounce.” He advanced as he talked, making it dangerously close to the dragon.

“No Minho one sting from it and you'll be-“ you don’t get to finish your sentence as you push Minho with all your strength out of the way of the flying spike. The spike hit the wall behind you, inches from where he stood “ -Paralyzed.” You finish, out of breath.

The small dragon, now aggravated, was ready to strike at the both of you again but it sensed oncoming visitors. You looked at where its beady red eyes were staring and vaguely saw shadows that resembled a human’s.

Distracted, Minho made the brave choice to run to your pouch, stuff the third egg in, and as he so kindly phrased it pounced away. Dragging you by the hand with him.

“RUN!”

You had hoped the dragon would go after the new guests that arrived, but it didn’t seem to appreciate you taking its eggs. You felt a weight cling onto your back and force you down to the floor, unwillingly removing your hand from Minho's grip.

Before you could even react Minho had flung the pouch at the dragon with such vigor that you were sure the thud it made rang through the whole arena. He helped haul you up quite easily that you for a second forgot how much you weight, were you that light or was Minho always been this strong?

The dragon swayed from side to side, shaking its head a couple of times as it did. Before it could gain its senses again, both you and Minho were out of sight.

After multiple run-ins to walls- and to each other- endless twists and turns, you finally see the light. Just a couple of steps more and you will be out of this maze.

You make it one foot out but something pulls Minho back inside, linked hands dragging you back with him.

“Minho!”

The same spiked dragon was on his back. Quite literally. It had its claws dug into his armor, pulling Minho backward into the maze, it's tail ready to sting Minho's neck.

It was time to choose, you either spare the dragon and let Minho get hurt. Or hurt the dragon in order to save Minho. Both options sucked, but maybe…

It’s a lucky guess. You had accidentally discovered this one time when you were fooling around with starlight, there was no assurance it would work on other types of dragons, but if it did it would save both of them from getting harmed.

It was now or never. Before you could back out, you reached your hand under the dragon's sharp teethed mouth and scratched the thick calloused skin on its chin. It instantly unclawed Minho, grip going lax, eyes slowly closing, head leaning into your touched until it fell to the ground, completely paralyzed and in bliss.

Minho was too busy heaving on both his hands and knees to speak.

“Are you okay? Did it sting you?”

He shook his head, not sure what question he was answering but the lack of a hole in his neck reassured you. He looked back at the dragon, surprised to find it in a daze on the floor. He didn’t have to ask, you could read the questions all over his face. _How did you do that?_ But you quickly dragged him up and out the maze, not letting him utter a word.

You didn’t like using any of the tricks you learned in front of others or in your training sessions. This was a slip-up. thankfully no one was around to see it except Minho. As much as you had prayed that the Lee’s would get eaten by a dragon you didn’tThankfully mean it.

“Congratulations! you're the first team out.” Commander Kim claps both of you on your backs, a bit too roughly.

“We make a good team,” you sheepishly said to minho, not expecting him to reply.

A smile tugged at his lips, one you had never imagined you'd see directed at you. “yeah… I guess we do.”

You were going to have to give hyunjin a visit with the way your heart was palpating so much lately.

**IX.**

“Starlight I can't throw that!” the sound of your laugh echoed in the empty forest.

The pond mimicked the sunset above, reflecting the apricot haze off the water, rippling softly as you swung your feet to and fro. Pants pulled up to your knees, scratches and marks from starlight rough playing on display.

Said dragon whined and nudged at the fully grown tree that he tossed at your feet a second ago after the fragile twigs you kept throwing him kept snapping between his sharp teeth.

The dragon was almost completely healed by now, the stitches have worked, you took them out the other day and the dragon could fly again. It was a very melancholic event, you were happy it could fly again but you were going to miss hanging with him. The moment you took the last stitch out, it zoomed away without looking back, spinning and soaring in the sky.

“You're not going to say goodbye ?!”

So he came back, gave you a lick that clung to your hair and clothes and took hours to pull off of you, gave one last look with its wide green eyes, then spread its wings and flapped away, roaring happily as he did.

You may have shed a tear or two, but no one shall know. Missing your companion, you went back the next day to the same place it has been inhabiting for the last week and a half and low and behold, and there it was drinking from the pond, waiting for you to visit.

As days go by, you slowly saw more sides of the dragon unfold as it started trusting you. Whether it be how quick-witted it was with the way he mimicked whatever he saw you do, to how goofy and puppy-like he could be with the way he would sleep upside down like a bat on a tree or spin around in circles trying to catch his own tail, All to which help solidify your thought. Dragons were not your enemy.

starlight whined again once it saw you laugh at him, “Bud, I can't just throw a tree like you!”

he turned his back on you, throwing a tantrum like a two-year-old that had his favorite toy taken away.

“Bud, come on,” you reached to pet its head but he stubbornly turned away.”I'm tiny compared to you, I don't have wings I cant fly. I don't have superhuman strength either, that's why I have you by my side.” you hugged it, trying to turn its head towards you. 

“look at you, acting like a baby, you even look the part!” you were referring to the stray tree leaves stuck between the scales on the back of his neck, no doubt from when he pulled the tree out of the ground. You climbed on his back to pluck them out, and before you knew it, your feet were no longer on the ground. Now call yourself crazy but you had always thought of riding on the back of a dragon before, wondering how it would feel to touch the clouds. But not when the dragon was playfully somersaulting mid-air, over the ocean, 50 feet above.

“STARLIGHT!! PUT ME DOWN!! BADBOY!!” you yelled, eyes glued closed out of fear. that seemed to make it sulk even more as he playfully zipped down and dipped the edges of his wings into the water before spraying you with it, making you shut your eyes even tighter.

“STARLIGHT PLEASE!!” You have anything to catch on to except his bare body which wasn't much. Your fingers were slipping from the momentum he was flying at. “ STARLIGHT IM GONNA FALL!! PLEASE PUT ME DOWN”

It stubbornly flew higher, wings heavily swifting through the air, until it broke through the first layer of clouds. “ALRIGHT, ALRIGHT! YOU’RE A GOOD BOY, YOU’RE THE BEST PET DRAGON EVER NOW PUT ME DOWN didn't.”

It was satisfied with that and flew you back down, just in time for your fingers to finally slip and lose grip. Your body bomb dives to the ground, landing all your weight on your wrist for support, causing it to twist a weird angle. 

“Ah!” Your exclaim caught the dragon's attention, seeing you in pain made him look at you all pleadingly, with dilated pupils, the same way he does whenever he knows he did something wrong.

“Starlight, you can't just do that without me knowing, I'm not like you if I had fallen from you that might have been the end of me.” 

It whined and looked at the floor, huffing out a fiery breath. You tried to move your wrist, but it was refusing to move without any pain. 

“Great, now I'm going to have to visit hyunjin.” A sigh slips from your lips. It wasn’t like you were avoiding hyunjin…but you _were_ avoiding him.

The dragon before you got up and hurls to the pile of food you gave him earlier, only for him to come back with a fish in his mouth. 

A peace offering. You did the same thing to him when you first freed him from your bolt and again when you stitched him up. 

Starlight was intelligent, perceptive, a quick learner. You caught sight of him a couple of times copying whatever you were doing, be it sitting by the brinks of the pond with your legs in the water- the dragon plunged its whole tail in instead- or laying down on your back and closing your eye to take a breather. 

Sorcery is what people would say if they saw this. You have manged to tame the so allegedly accused untamable. You managed to win its trust, and with it came its whole being.

It was a very moving gesture, he felt guilty and didn't want you to be mad at him. He dropped the fish and nudged at it, begging you with his eyes.

“Oh, starlight.” You pet his head with your good hand“ I'm not mad at you, but next time do give me a heads up. I'm not like you, I don't have wings, if I plunge from a high place, I will die.”

It licked at your knotted up hair, leaving a trail of spit as he did, A bad habit he has that you have yet to teach him not to do because it made it even harder for your detangle your hair.

“Ugh, thanks bud.” You wipe the goo off your face, spraying back at him.

He helped you get up to your feet, letting you put your body weight on him. He walked you all the way up the slope you descend from to get down here, but it didn't step a foot out of place, he knew you wouldn't allow him too. It was too dangerous, you couldn’t have someone accidentally see the both of you here.

“Thanks, starlight,” with your good hand you itched behind its perked ear, right where you knew made him turn to a purring mess “Now be a good boy and stay out of sight?” 

You pulled your hand back, but starlight followed it, nudging your hand back over his head. You laughed again at him “ I’ll give you more pats tomorrow. Stay hidden, okay bud?” If it were a human being, the sulky pout would be evident on its face.

“Now go on you big baby.” he let out one last screech before it flew away. 

Its been a while since you've visited hyunjin and you've been meaning to go one of these days, but you were dreading having to answer the question you knew he would ask about the ambiguous causes of all your injuries, so you just avoided going to him, preferring to heal your wounds at home with you minimum knowledge of dressing burns and scraps. But this seemed like it might need professional attention. 

A sigh slips out again once you're in front of Hyunjin's door. Throbbing wrist in hand, throbbing headache in the process.

“I was wondering when you would stop avoiding me.” Hyunjin's snarky voice greeted you. 

Of course, he would notice. This has been the longest you’ve gone without seeing him, but you were pretty occupied with your new pet.“I...wasn’t avoiding, practice has me occupied.”

“Uh hah is that so ?” he deadpanned, stare poking holes into your soul.

“So what did i do in my past life for you to grace me with your precence?” He mocked a bow.

“Ha ha very funny.” You held up your wrist and showed it to him. “ i fell down and sprained my wrisy.” 

“ did you fall down a hellhole or something?” he gently took hold of your hand, twisting it here and there to see what he was dealing with.

“You could say that.” 

“Lucky you, it doesn’t seem fractured, probably just trauma. Keep it wrapped and it'll be good as new in no time.” 

He brought out a cloth and started to wrap your hand firmly in it. He pushed the sleeve of your shirt up and noticed all the burn marks adorning your skin. 

“So are you going to tell me how you really sprained your hand?” Knowing you had an excuse ready on your tongue, he continued, “ _And_ why you look like our rusty thousand-year-old cauldron?” His tone was nothing like his playful one earlier. 

“Fell down the rabbit hole.” He didn't appreciate your joke by the looks of it. His hands stopped and he looked you dead in the eye,” Y/N your really starting to worry me. Is something wrong? Is someone doing this to you? Is it Minho?”

“What?! No! No one is doing this to me.”He stayed still, gaze still holding yours, doubt shifting in them.

“Trust me. I'm fine in that regard. Minho's actually…been tolerable lately.” You didn't realize it but a smile took form upon your face and it didn't slip Hyunjin’s radar.

“What do you mean?” 

A third sigh in less than ten minutes graced your lips, but this one wasn't of exasperation. “Ever since commander Kim partnered us up for a task, Minho’s been civil with me.” 

you didn't mention the shy smiles shared between coincidental run-ins. You hadn't imagined that the smile he gave you after the game was over would grace you for the rest of the week. Whenever you would see him, you would send him a smile, and he’d give you one back. It set fire to your veins, burning your nerves- a good kinda burn, not like the ones starlight usually toasted you like a marshmallow with.

You didn't talk or anything, but it wasn't that suffocating silence either. You were tiptoeing on eggshells, not knowing whether you should be the one to talk first or not.

“Still doesn’t explain why you're all tattered up.” He wasn't letting the subject go. Maybe now was the time for you to tell him. You trusted hyunjin. He could keep a secret. 

But just like the last time you saw him, a door opening intervened your moment. This time it being the main door of the house. You both turned to see none other than the devil himself standing there. 

Lee Minho.

Hyunjin glanced at you before looking back at Minho, noticing the small smiles that fused both of your faces. 

“Hurry up,” you mouth to hyunjin, but hyunjin being hyunjin slows down deliberately instead. If it wasn’t for how good looking he was you would’ve punched him back to the days he was a blabbering mess of gaga’s and giggles (not that he was any different now).

“What brings you here? “ hyunjin asks Minho while his hands are busy moving no faster than his brain cells over your wrist.

“Mother said you have a new batch made of that sleeping potion.” 

“Yeah, it's around the back let me bring it for you.” He looked at you, pointing an accusing finger at you “ and you, this conversation isn't over.” 

“Yeah yeah just go now.” You shoo him with your now, thankfully, fully wrapped hand.

Minho stood next to you, eyes inquisitively grazing over your injured hand.“What..” he seemed to be contemplating whether to continue asking or not but seeing as you maintained eye contact, curiosity shining in them, he gathered the courage up “what happened?” He timidly asks. 

That took both you and your heart by surprise, “I- Just tripped and fell, nothing serious.” 

He nodded and you think you hear him murmur “that's good “ under his breath but you weren't so sure with the way his head cocked downward. It was so unlike him. 

“Are you okay?” You decide to ask because the sag of his shoulders, the disheveled clothes, the unkempt hair and the circles around his eyes were getting concerningly bigger each time you saw him that he could almost rival how big starlight's eyes were. 

He looked surprised at your question. The act of you taking an interest in his well being stirred something in him, sending tingles down his fingertips. He stayed quiet for a bit, pondering on what to say. The soft sound of the clock ticking keeping your thoughts company “I’m —"

“Here you go.” Sometimes hyunjin could spout out words that could rival Plato’s, other times he was as dumb as a plank of wood. You had never wanted to shove his long pretty fingers down his throat more than now.

Unable to read the moment, you shot hyunjin a glare for interrupting Minho from finally talking to you. Wasn’t he the one always encouraging you to go and speak to him? 

Minho look disappointed too, shoulders sagging even more, a hint of dismay in his voice“ thanks.” He paid and ran away. Not looking back at you. 

“So, where were we?” Hyunjin called back at you. 

“ you know what, maybe some other time.” You followed Minho out.

“Y/N!!!”

**x.**

Sniffles. 

Not yours but of some obscure figure that slipped out of the Lee residence. door closing behind them, shutting any light from slipping onto the dark shadows of the night. Sardonic laughter followed the figure out, slumping tiredly to the ground.

Your legs locked in place, lungs frozen, afraid that making a sound would disturb the figure even more. A Wizz of breeze rustled the trees behind you, turning the figure’s head in your direction, faint moonlight emphasizing the wet trail decorating Minho’s cheeks.

It was Minho. He was crying. 

Your mind came to a halt for a second, you think your heart did too. What do you do when you see someone that you not long ago wished them the most heinous way of dying looking the same way starlight did when you took away his ability to fly- tired, hopeless and scared.

upon your feet crossing the space between you and him, Minho held his palm up, stopping you in track, “ Go away,” He looked the other way, his other hand wiping whatever his thin sleeves could catch “I don’t need your pity.”

And you would have complied any other day, but the hollowness filling his eyes scared you. His deep brown eyes that would usually glimmer with a hint of mischievousness around you were gone, leaving nothing but black sinkholes. “Im not doing this out of pity.”

He didn't look your way. “I told you to go away, princess.” 

“And I told you to stop calling me princess.” 

silently you fold down beside him, not speaking, but letting him know you were here. His sniffles were the only thing breaking the silence every few seconds. He side glanced you, a sigh coming out of him seeing you stubbornly sticking by his side. He set his hands down beside him to hold his weight while he faced straight ahead, staring at the moon waving behind big dark clouds, There were no tears on his face but his eyes were red and shiny, wetness clinging onto his eyelashes, sticking them together.

You had your fair amount of silent moments with Minho, but you hated this one the most. No words were said but pain and grief lay so thick in the air you could touch it. It took no genius to know that he was getting teased, yet again, by his brothers before he stepped out of the house.

Timorously you set your hand above his, wordlessly speaking. He didn't retract his own. Instead, he aligned his palms to yours, triggering your beating organ to skip a beat.

“What's wrong?” you dare ask. That seems to set start his fountain of tears again as they clung desperately onto the tips of his lashes, lips quivering so he pressed to a tight line. He leaned on to you, laying his head on your shoulder, face hidden in your neck.

You didn't know if your heart clenching was from his crying or the proximity of him. You let him do as he pleased, hot tears dripping onto your neck, soaking your clothes. It brought tears to your own but you blinked them away, letting the wind dry them up. Your thumb rubbed circles on the back of his hands, occasionally drifting to trace over his knuckles, sharing warmth.

His deep heaves eventually lessened to normal breathing, tears no longer dripping.“What am I supposed to tell him when he comes back?” he crooned so softly that if you weren't listing for it you would've missed it.

It took you a second to realize who he was talking about. “Your father?”

He sniffed.

“ I...dont know.” You squeezed his hand,” I wouldn’t know what to tell mine either.”

The mark of your father's return was nearing and it had you in a swirl of emotions. No doubt you would be joyed at him coming back alive, but you did not know how you would unveil your new discovery to him, Vikings have spent years upon decades slaughtering dragons, finding pleasure in it, turning it into a sick contest of masculinity and strength.

Minho’s hair tickled the side of your face, reminding you he was still there.It was warm- you were warm, despite the cold draft swifting on by. Sitting next to him, under the glinting beam of the moonlight fluttering through the clouds sent warmth down both your bodies.

“My brothers are right. I’m not worthy of the Lee family’s name.” 

That startled a reaction out of you, moving back so Minho was obliged to stop hiding in your neck. “Hey,” you called him but when he continued looking away you unlaced your hand from his, and instead held his face, gently turning it to meet your eyes, palms cupping his cheeks. “Look at me.”

“Just because they can ruthlessly skin a dragon alive and pluck its teeth out with their bare hands doesn’t make them any more worthy than you are.” You had said it with so much sincerity that it almost swayed him. It sent an unfamiliar surge of warmth roaming freely in his chest. His eyes stared into yours, shining with unshed tears. 

“Lee Minho, you’re a kind, rare soul and if anything, it's them that are unworthy of you.” His eyes quivered, switching between your eyes and lips. You didn't know where these words were coming from, but you meant every single one of them. It might’ve taken a while for you to see it but Minho really was caring in his own way.

You didn't know what force pulled the both of you together but before any of you could wrap your minds around it, you felt Minho’s cold lips pressed on yours. Your hold on his cheeks weakened, fingers sliding down his chest, gripping onto his shirt.

After what could’ve been minutes felt like hours, he distanced himself enough to murmur, “I don't want to kill, Y/N” the way your name melted off his tongue sent a shiver down your spine, grounding you in place with his gaze, breaths tickling your lips. You were seeing and experiencing a lot of firsts, uncovering new sides of Minho. 

“Maybe…” you hesitated. Should you tell him? Could you trust him enough to know that he won't take advantage of knowing where starlight likes to hide at night and run back to tell his father in an attempt of redemption? You would be giving the perfect salvation plan.

“Maybe we don't have too.” You pulled away, standing up with your hand outstretched to him. “Come with me. I want to show you something.” It was a huge leap of faith, trusting a Lee. But if him bawling his eyes out in the middle of the night over not wanting to slaughter dragons wasn’t enough of an indication of how different Minho was to them then you really were as blind and as thick-headed as a ground mole.


End file.
